The Opposition
by Namibean
Summary: After meeting Straw-hat Luffy and his crew, Charlotte Pudding is left to reflect on her decision to assist the pirates rather than marrying her betrothed. Although she knows that Sanji wants to return to his crew, she can't help but feel disappointed that she will not be marrying him. Set during chapter 828, the other side of The Competition.


They hadn't stayed long, but Straw-hat Luffy and his crew made a quick exit as soon as there was a knock at the door. "Pudding-sama, we've come to retrieve you. Until the wedding, we advise you to not work so much." It must have been guards sent by her mama, the _Yonko_ Big Mom. Pudding was never interested in titles or anything. How infamous a pirate her mama was didn't concern her. No, all she had been interested in from the time she was a little girl, what she had been taught her whole life, was to look forward to what type of husband she would marry.

"But I had a guest…" she opened the door to the guards. Crouching, the _Yonko_ daughter began to pick up the remains of the cake table that had been mostly consumed by the raccoon pet of the Straw-hats. Thoughts began to wander as she cleaned the crumbs. When she first heard that she would be marrying a pirate, Pudding couldn't help worrying what his temperament would be like. Pirates are scary! Capone, the pirate her sister Chiffon married, was intimidating! Would her own fiancé be as frightening? Her fears had been over nothing, though. Pudding found out that her betrothed was not only a pirate, but an actual prince as well.

Sanji-san was perfect! Meeting him had been like a dream and he was her prince charming. He was strong, handsome, and kind. They also shared the same interests! Pudding's imagination began to run away with visions of the two of them rebuilding the café, making chocolate together, and teaching their two perfect children (a boy and a girl, of course) how to take up the business that would be passed along to them. Every day of their marriage would be full of love and happiness, and she would never have to worry about seeing any more of the terrifying things her mama did ever again because Sanji-san would protect her…

 _Oh dear…_ Plum eyes lowered, crestfallen. She had been dreaming again. Her fiancé even told her that, despite wanting to marry her, he wanted to return to his crew. Now that she saw they came to retrieve him, her dreams wouldn't come true. It would be a lie to say she wasn't heartbroken, but deep down she could never marry someone knowing they didn't want to be with her.

Lips pouting into a frown, Pudding wondered if maybe the orange-haired woman was the reason Sanji-san wanted to return to his crew. She was definitely beautiful… even more so than Pudding had ever thought of herself. The woman was also much more mature and appeared to be concerned when questioning her infatuation. _Maybe she's his lover?_ A blush came to her cheeks and the Charlotte daughter shook her head. Whatever relationship Sanji-san had with the woman was none of her business. Jealousy was unbecoming of her anyway.

With the remains of the table cleared, Pudding met the guards. Getting Sanji-san to the coast to meet his crew would be difficult. She also forgot to warn the Straw-hats of the various dangers in the _mizuame_ sea… but they're pirates. They've probably seen worse, right? There was also the matter of what excuse she would give mama. If mama went into one of her rages, maybe Pudding could try running away like her dear sister Lola? If she couldn't achieve independence through her arranged marriage, the Charlotte daughter would find her freedom on the seas.

With a slight nod to confirm her resolve, Pudding went along with her escort. Forgetting Sanji-san would be unfortunate. She couldn't imagine a more perfect husband. Perhaps her next fiancé would be an even better match.

* * *

 _A/N: I have a really deep dislike for Pudding. It's irrational and I don't like how much her character irritates me. That said, I wrote this short fic in the hopes that maybe I could tolerate her character more. ^^_


End file.
